Go the Distance
by VeganZombie
Summary: "Because," she took a moment to scoot in closer to me, and before pulling me into the most passionate kiss she's ever given, she explained: "I love you, Logan Mitchell, and I only want to see you happy." Sequel to Something Yet to Learn, Logan/OC
1. Where I Belong

Huzzah! I have returned! I'm sooo sorry to all my faithful readers that I just kind of disappeared into nothingness...I've been trying this thing lately called having a life...LOLZ yeah, it's not really working out, so I'm back! With that sequel to **Something Yet to Learn** I promised you! I would like to take a moment to thank a lovely reader of SYTL who actually gave me this idea after that story was finished...I wasn't really going to write sequel, but their idea was just too good to ignore! So, thank you, **mutantshinobi** , if you're still out there somewhere! And for those of you who were reading My Beautiful Rescue...yeah, that went on hiatus, in case you haven't noticed. I still have to think of something that can happen before I end it. :/ Anyways, if you're all still out there, anticipating more Brooklyn & Logan, this one's for you! Enjoy! :)  
>- Veg<p>

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><p><strong>Logan's POV<strong>

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><p>"Loogann," Brooklyn giggled as I leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on her collarbone. "Come on, we should really head back now." I just ignored her and moved my lips up to her neck while she released a deep sigh of frustration. "Babe, my flight home is really early…and knowing you, you're gonna get us lost going home." I let out a quiet chuckle as I tangled my fingers in her brown curls.<p>

"What, you don't trust me?" I questioned, my lips brushing up against her ear as I spoke.

"Logan, you don't even know _where the hell we are._ How are we even gonna find our way back?"

"I'll figure it out," I carelessly explained. "Come on; give me a few more minutes. I won't see you again after this until, what, December?"

"Then maybe you should transfer to NYU this year," she joked.

"Or _you_ can move back here and go to UCLA with me," I replied, a lot less jokingly than she had.

"You know I love New York too much," she told me with a guilty expression on her face. I sighed at that statement.

"Yeah, I know…" She took a moment of silence to stare up at the sky for the thirty-sixth time tonight. Throughout the night, she would ramble on about how she never really got to see such gorgeous stars anymore with all of the huge building restricting the view, but that time she stayed silent.

"Do you like UCLA?" She suddenly blurted out after a minute.

"Yeah," I hesitantly replied. "I told you, it's great…"

"But do you _really_ like it?" She asked as she sat up and shot me this horribly serious look. "Or are you just saying that, considering it's the only good school you can attend if you want to keep the band together?"

There it was. She hit the nail straight on the head, and I just stayed quiet.

"You had all of these dreams of graduating from an Ivy League med school and becoming a doctor, and…I just don't want you to forget about them." I continued to sit in silence as she gently took my hand in a concerned, motherly fashion. "You had some incredible goals for yourself, Logan- don't give up on them just because they're different from your friends'."

"I can't just give up on what we started, Brooklyn…it's not that simple," I told her with a sigh. "Besides, I'm living out a whole other dream here in LA."

"But it's not _your _dream. _Your_ dream was somewhere at Colombia or Penn…not here."

"I know," I quietly replied. She then leaned in, wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry...you know I don't want to upset you."

"Then why'd you have to bring this up?"

"Because," she took a moment to scoot in closer to me, and before pulling me into the most passionate kiss she's ever given, she explained: "I love you, Logan Mitchell, and I only want to see you happy."

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><p>The ring I gave Brooklyn years ago was small, meant for her tiny, skinny fingers. The white gold swirled into one long twist will a small diamond chip filling each hole in the braid shape. The perfectly circular gemstone in the middle was a purple sapphire, because I always thought a diamond would be too platitude for such a girl. I remember staring down at said ring at the bottom of the white envelope I received in the mail a while back. I never expected for it to be returned to me.<p>

_I love you,_ she wrote to me in her neat cursive. _And that's why I'm doing this._

I can't believe how long it's been since I last held her in my arms- the last time she visited two summers ago before she had to return to NYU. I remember everything from that night, from our dinner to that dress she looked so gorgeous in to the incredibly passionate time spent in the less-than-romantic backseat of my car. She sent me that letter a few weeks after that night. It's almost been two years since then…almost two years since I've even heard from her. All I wonder is what Brooklyn Elyse Giordano is up to now. I guess she finished her last year at NYU and is living up her dreams in the big city. I can't help but wonder how often she thinks of me, if she does at all anymore. I wonder how many auditions she's breezed through at this point. I wonder if she ever got her dream of a gorgeous loft in the Village. I wonder how many dates she's been on since…

Stop it. Stop doing this to yourself. Stop pondering over what once was and move on with your goddamned pathetic life. Brooklyn moved on, and now you have to move on, too. It's your turn. Stop dwelling in the past and move on to the future…_your_ future.

That's exactly what I'm going to do. My first stop? Med school.

I honestly never thought I'd reach this point in my life. Especially after Big Time Rush…I thought that was the end of my dream. But, boy, was I wrong. After four years at UCLA, there's no way I'm just forgetting about that now. Brooklyn did it, and now I can, too. The first step, of course, is to tell my friends…I'm moving on.

The news traveled a lot quicker than I would have liked. It felt like one second I was showing them my acceptance letter, and the next I'm watching them mourning the loss of a band member on TV: "Logan's been our best friend for years. Will we miss him? Of course," I watch Kendall tell the interviewer with a sigh. James stood next to him, his hands shoved in his pockets, looking more confused than usual. Carlos was nowhere to be found. I can't help but imagine him somewhere, bawling his eyes out, and that makes me feel awful. "But, we also respect his decision. This has been Logan's dream since we were kids, and…I'm proud he's finally following it."

"But do you know why he quit?" The interviewer asks, and I try my hardest not to snicker at the dumb question. I can see Kendall got that one, too, showing a faint smile.

"Well, would you want to try and balance the two at the same time?" He asks, a bit smugly. "Look, Logan was in kind of a…slump…because of something that happened a while ago-"

"You mean when he and his old girlfriend split?" James winces at the question and Kendall bites down on his lower lip.

"Uh, yeah…and I guess part of this is his way of moving on." That's when I shut the TV off. There is absolutely nothing that's going to stop me now.


	2. Change Don't Come Easy

Hey, guys, I'm reallyreallyreally sorry this one took so long...I've been trying to shove myself out of this never-ending slump I've seem to have gotten myself into. :/ Anyway, I'm supposed to be on vacation right now, so I kind of awkwardly brought my computer to the pool today to finish this just for you guys, because you've all been sosoo awesome with all of your nice reviews & such! So, enjoy!  
>- Veg :)<p>

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><p><strong>Logan's POV<strong>

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><p>This place really does hold a lot of memories for me, as painful as they are.<p>

This coffee shop brought Brooklyn and I together six years ago, and eventually became the bin that held the memories of countless tutoring sessions, goofing off, and eventually dates. I remember when I first approached her here- horribly timid after listening to her lay the F-bomb on the phone two hundred times in less than five minutes…and that was the girl I came to know and love with all my heart.

My eyes slowly flutter open when I catch myself dozing off in my seat. I guess I really should get home and get some rest…I haven't been sleeping for the past few nights, and I'm really exhausted.

I slouch back in my chair while taking in the strong aroma of coffee beans. I can't believe I'm still coming here after all these years. I can't believe I'm enduring the pain I feel just passing by this place during the day. I can almost see Brooklyn sitting across from me with that bright white smile, twirling one of her long curls around her finger as she let her sailor's mouth run free and poked fun at me.

I prop an elbow up on the table, picking up the little red coffee stirrer and mindlessly twirl it in my drink. Brooklyn always loved this…oh, god…

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><p>"<em>You know, I never drank black coffee before I met you,"<em> I remember telling my incredible girlfriend from across our favorite table in the coffee shop.

"Maybe it's because you're finally used to the bitterness," she jokes. "You know, didn't do a lot of things before you met me. You were just an awkward, innocent little…_prude _from Minnesota."

"I was _not-_" Brooklyn immediately cut me off.

"Logan, please," she giggled, tangling her fingers in mine.

"Well, I'm sorry boring old Minnesota didn't have too many underage drinkers," I snorted in reply as she shot me a playful glare. I smiled to myself for a moment after experiencing a short flashback. "Do you remember that one New Year's Eve after we started dating..?" Brooklyn smiled again and let her head drop down on the table before breaking out into a fit of giggling.

"How could I possibly forget the first night we got you completely trashed?"

"Oh come on, I wasn't _that _drunk." She picked her head up, still not letting go of my hand, and looks up at me with this smug look. "What?"

"Babe, you were tumbling over your own feet after half a glass of cheap champagne," she reminded me. "And then you were _totally _trying to get in my pants while the rest of our friends were out in my living room doing god-knows-what…all I know is that they were scattered everywhere and completely fucked up the next morning."

"James was passed out under your coffee table and you woke him up with a blow horn," I reminded her, and the smirk on her face in return was hysterical.

"That was a great weekend," she recalled, but then her smile quickly faded. "I mean, until…Pat…" I tightly pursed my lips together, regretting ever bringing this up.

"At least he was okay." I reminded her.

"Yeah, I just can't believe that all happened over some stupid argument…" I squeezed her hand and gave her a warm smile.

"Brooklyn, nothing in the world, not even _that_, would ever break up that friendship you two have. It's incredible how close you two are." With just that, her beautiful smile returned to me.

"You know, I wouldn't have made it through those weeks without you," she admitted, although I knew she probably could have. Brooklyn is the strongest person I know, and I was surprised to ever see her break down. "_You're_ incredible, Logan Mitchell, and I don't know where I'd be without you right now." As sweet as what she said was, I couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"I'm sorry…I just can't believe how _mushy_ we've gotten over the years- and to think you used to gag at the thought of romance." Her red lips curled into that horribly appealing smirk yet again as she slowly leans forward.

"Well, maybe you changed me for the better," she quietly replied before gently pressing her lips against mine. That kiss, like many others we've shared, immediately heated up when she tangled her fingers in my hair and I actually had to pull myself away.

"So, uh," I hoarsely told her as I gently pulled on one of her curls. "I'm pretty sure our room's empty right now…"

"From a total prude to a total dog…I've really outdone myself," Brooklyn joked as I shot her a glare. She then proceeded to pop right out of her seat and shout, "I'll race you there!"

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><p>I quickly glance down at my watch- it's almost 9, and I really should go get some rest. I take one last swig of my coffee before tossing the paper cup in the trash can. I immediately turn towards the front door, but immediately stop when I see someone else walking in- a group of loud, rowdy teenagers, and one of them looks horrible familiar.<p>

That wavy, dark hair, those big, brown eyes…that can't be- "Logan?" _Alexander Giordano._

"A-alex!" I stutter, unsure of why I'm really surprised to see him here. "It's…been awhile." I can't believe how _big_ he's gotten…it seems like just yesterday I was building Legos with an innocent little 7 year-old. Now, I'm nervous, confused and overly-emotional and all I want to do is pull the kid into the tightest hug. But, I contain myself, considering I might get some strange reactions. "How've you been?"

"Pretty good," the teenager replied with a smile strikingly similar to his sister's. "What about you?"

"Alright," I tell him with a forced smile. "I mean, considering I'm out of school for the summer already…can't complain… How's school going for you?"

"It's okay," he says with a shrug. "I mean, it's _school…_" I chuckle a little bit at that one. Typical teenager.

"You're…what, now? 13?" He just nods and I can barely believe it. "And those are your…friends?" I gesture over to the obnoxious group of kids, making as much commotion as they possibly can. I was about to say something else until I overhear one of his friends announce something I honestly wish isn't true.

"Alex!" The same kid calls from across the room. "We're gonna go out back and, uh, 'burn one'." I really wanted to smack that smug look right off this kids face. I mean, he can't be much older than Alex… Who the hell does he think he is? "You coming?" Alex bites down on his lower lip, looks over at the other kid and then back at me.

"Uh, no, I think I'm gonna head home now," he tentatively replies. Smart kid.

"Whatever," another kid scoffs before the group heads outside.

"Come on," I immediately tell him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'll drive you home." Alex stays completely silent, but follows me outside and into the parking lot. I wait to start the car once we're inside to try and get him to talk again. "Alex, you know…those kids…"

"You don't have to…I know what you're going to say," he starts with a sigh. "They're bad influences. I know."

"Then why are you hanging around them?" He's silent for a few more moments.

"They're the only friends I have." That's when I feel my heart shatter into a million little pieces. This poor kid has already been through enough… "Look, I'm not doing any of the stuff they are…"

"You sound just like your sister," I painfully admit with a small smile before starting the car.

"I miss her," his voice cracks.

"She was your best friend." He just nods and tightly hugs his knees to his chest.

"You miss her, too, don't you?"

I hesitate before telling him, "More than anything." The next few minutes are silent, with the exception of Alex reminding me of an occasional direction. When we pull up to the driveway of his grandmother's house, I finally pull him into that hug I've been holding back. "Don't forget you have one more friend right here, kid. You can always call me if you need anything, okay?" He gives me another silent nod before getting out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride," he tells me. "And…everything else."

"Don't mention it…and, uh, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time you talk to your sister…tell her I've been thinking about her." That got a small smile out of him.

"I will."


	3. Every Sinner Has a Future

Hola, everyone! I don't really have much to say right now, other than the fact that I'm glad this one came to me so quickly! So, enjoy! (Is it just me, or do I end every AN with that? Oh well...o.o)  
>- Veg<p>

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><p><strong>Brooklyn's POV<strong>

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><p>I tightened my grip around my phone when the needle came in contact with my fingertip as I winced in pain. "Ow! Dammit!" I call out as quiet as I possibly can.<p>

"Brooklyn?" My little brother asks from the other end of the call. "Are you okay?" I let out a deep, frustrated sigh before sucking the small drop of blood off my finger.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I tell him. "I just pricked my finger hemming this damn dress for Maggie…like she needs it any shorter." My brother lets out a small chuckle as I continue with my mindless babbling. "I'm sorry, hun, what were you saying?"

"I miss you," his not-so-childish-anymore voice admits. "When am I gonna see you again?" I ponder his question before puncturing my finger yet again.

"Oh, you little shit…" I angrily mumble, but then quickly catch how Alex must've taken that. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry, Alex! I wasn't talking to you…" My brother just continues to laugh at me. I really do miss that kid. "Uh, when will you see me again? Geez, I don't know, kiddo. I can't just fly out there whenever…I've got a lot going on right now."

"I understand," he replies in a rather sad tone that makes my heart sink down into my stomach. That's when I immediately remember something.

"What about you come down here?" I ask. "I mean, you'll be out of school by next month, right? Maybe I'll see if you can get on a flight with Pat when he comes to visit."

"And I'd stay with you?" He questions, sounding much happier this time.

"Jesus, Alex, where else would you stay? Of course!"

"Yeah, but aren't you living with…that Jesse guy now?" I can't help but roll my eyes at his choice of words.

"'_That Jesse guy?'_ You mean my boyfriend?" Alex replies with a quiet "_Yeah_." "Why? Did you not like him?"

"No- no, I mean, he was cool and all, I just…" His voice fades off and he quickly finishes with a much louder. "Uh, never mind."

"You alright?" I can't help but ask. All the way from the other side of the country I still worry about those kids.

"Yeah…just exhausted. I was up late last night…studying."

"Now that's what I like to hear," I tell him, proudly smiling to myself.

"Brooklyn, can I ask you a question?" He quickly changed the topic. "Like…without you getting mad or anything…"

"Of course."

"Why….why did you ever break up with Logan?" He really caught me off guard with that question, but I try my hardest not to let it show. Why is he bringing this up now, anyway?

"…uh, I told you, Alex," I tell him as I try my hardest to focus on re-threading my needle. "It was just getting to be…too much. I love New York, he loves LA…it just wouldn't have worked out." Liar. You're lying to him. You're lying to yourself.

"I thought you two were in love," he then shoots at me and I nearly choke on my own foot in return.

"We weren't…" Liar. "We were just young and stupid." You fucking _liar!_ "Look, let's not discuss this anymore. How've you been?"

"Christ, I already told you I'm fine. How are _you,_ Brooklyn? Why don't you tell me about what you're up to for once? I sometimes think you spend so much time worrying about us you forget to take care of yourself."

"Alex, please, don't worry about me. I'm almost 22 years old and I can take care of myself." I let out a deep sigh and shake my head as I turn Maggie's dress to the next side that needed to be fixed. "God, you know you're really starting to sound just like me." And I'm not exactly sure if that should worry me or not.

"So I've been told," is his plain reply. He's silent for another moment as I continue to sew until he lets out yet another sweet-but-curious, "Brooklyn?"

"Yeah?"

"The other day…I…I saw, uh…"

"Saw what, bud?" I mindlessly nudge him to finish his sentence.

"Well, I was at the coffee shop with some friends the other night, and I ran into-"

"Brooklyn! I'm hoo-oome!" A familiar Australian sing-songy tone interrupts my phone conversation.

"What was that, Alex? I'm sorry, Jesse just got home and felt it necessary to shout it out to the whole complex."

"Logan." He finally finishes.

"…what?"

"I saw Logan at the coffee shop Friday night… He gave me a ride home because my friends were…being stupid, and…" He takes one more pause before telling me, "He said he misses you…and he's been thinking about you."

"I-…I…" I stutter, not exactly sure of how to react. "Uh, I've gotta go, hun." Alex lets out a deep, frustrated sigh. "Bye, kiddo."

_He said he misses you…and he's been thinking about you._ My heart nearly jumps up to my throat. My head is spinning and I feel sick to my stomach. I can't believe what I just heard…I thought- I _hoped_- that was all over and done with. As much as I loved Logan... I wasn't going to ruin what the both of us had planned for ourselves. Now, I've moved on…and hopefully he has, too, or will soon…

_You haven't moved on. Stop lying to yourself._

"Babe?" I hear Jesse call once more before poking his head in the doorway.

"Hey," I say, forcing a quick smile and immediately putting a silence to my racing thoughts. "Sorry, I was on the phone with Alex."

"Don't apologize," the handsome blonde replies with a lighthearted chuckle. "Everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah," I lie once again. "We were actually talking about having him come to visit next month. You know, I figured he could ride the plane with Pat and stay for the same two weeks or so-"

"Sounds wonderful- boy can stay the whole summer if he'd like," he excitedly replies, leaving me a bit suspicious.

"So…looks like I don't have to convince you in to anything," I questionably say while quirking an eyebrow at his enthusiastic behavior.

"Of course not!" He gently takes my face in between his hands and gives me a quick peck on the lips. "Out of everyone you've introduced me to, he's the _only_ one I have to worry about impressing."

"Oh, please," I take a moment to run my fingers through his wavy, golden locks. "He's only thirteen. Don't worry about impressing anybody."

"But I only want him to like me," Jesse tells me with a pout while grabbing my other hand. "I mean, he's not only your brother, but your best friend, too."

"He does like you," I assure him. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"I just want to make sure." He flashes me a bright smile before giving me yet another quick kiss. "Alright, come on, then, we have to get going soon." I give him an annoyed groan and let myself fall onto my bed.

"Do I really have to go to this? We've gone out every night this week…and I have to finish this dress for Maggie by tomorrow morning, and-"

"Babe, this is for a really important colleague…if my agent wins this guy over, I'll be modeling...Versace! Louis Vuitton! Do you know how big that would be for me?" He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, and then proceeds to twirl another loose strand around his finger. I feel my heart completely sink- Logan always loved playing with my hair…God dammit, Alex, why did you do this to me? I was perfectly fine pretending those years of my life never happened…and now- "Come on, I really want you there with me." His bright green eyes come in contact with my brown ones as he gives me the saddest, most irresistible puppy dog face he can manage.

"Fine," I reluctantly give in. "What should I-" Clearly over-excited, Jesse cuts me off once more.

"That navy dress that's been collecting dust in the back of your closet!" He nearly leaps over to my closet and begins rummaging through all of the hangers.

"What navy-" I begin to question, but before I can finish, he's holding up said dress. It was short, sleeveless and a dark shade of navy blue with a line of silver buttons going down the bust. I haven't worn this since that night when… Jesus Christ, don't even finish that thought. "Oh, that old thing?" I ask, trying my hardest to pretend it doesn't hold any significant memories. "I didn't even know I still had that thing…I don't even know if it'll still fit." Probably not…not since-

"Come on, it should! Just try it- we have to be out of here in the next fifteen minutes!" He sprints out of the room, most likely to make a phone call or do something else of importance.

I carefully remove the dress from its hanger while studying every detail of the article of clothing, from the soft, sleek satin to the tiny details engraved in the buttons. After removing my typical loungewear, I pull the dress over my head, and much to my surprise, it still fits. I make my way over to my closet to find a matching pair of shoes, but immediately stop when I get a glance of myself in the mirror.

"_You look beautiful_," I can almost hear his voice whisper in my ear as he gently wraps his arms around my waist.

_Stop this! _You _moved on_, remember?

"Brooklyn!" Jesse finally calls out. "You ready?"

"Uh..." I hesitate. "Yeah!"

I take one last look at myself in the mirror and try my hardest not to cry.


	4. When It's Time

I finally decided it was time to take a break from kicking my friend's ass at Disney Scene-It and post this...so here you guys go. :3  
>- Veg<p>

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><p><strong>Brooklyn's POV<br>**

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><p>I wake up the next morning with my head buried in Jesse's solid chest, inhaling his very familiar scent. He whispers a rather sweet, "Good morning," to me as I rub my eyes and struggle to wake up, or at least sit up. He just laughs at me, most likely because I'm not the most attractive person in the morning, and plants a kiss on my forehead. "You have some calls to return, Miss Brooklyn."<p>

"Who?" I question, mid yawn and falling back into my pillow.

"Your brother, Patrick and, uh…oh! Some bloke named Tom…Tom Hh-" That's when my excitement and nerves completely take over me and I nearly roll off of the bed. "Good lord! What the hell is-?"

"That's the…that…the…the _American Idiot_ guy!" I struggle to get my words out while cheerily bouncing on the bed. "The one from my callback! How did he sound? What did he say? Did he sound like he was trying to break the bad news to me? Or did-" He shushes me (and attempts to calm me down) by gently placing his index finger on my lips before letting out a deep sigh. Uh-oh, here it comes.

"He just wanted me tell you…" He starts off with a sad voice that brings me to the verge of nausea. "Oh…something about, uh, you're agent stopping by to pick up a copy of the script…" He then shows me this mischevious smirk I could've easily hit him for. "Because you got the part." My heart completely bursts out of happiness as I completely tumble off the bed, only to be pounced and slobbered on by my boyfriend's giant husky. Jesse just sighs and then lets out a quiet chuckle at my reaction- you'd think he'd be used to this type of behavior by now. He leans over the edge of the bed and asks, "You alright?"

"Yeah…I think so," I reply, trying to calmly laugh off my fall and pulling my face away from the dog.

"Well, Miss Broadway star," he starts, holding out his hand to pull me back up. "I think this just adds one more thing we need to celebrate today."

I hesitate before forcing a smile and telling him, "Uh, yeah, of course…" I honestly can't believe today marks one year with Jesse. That means…it's been more than I year since-

_Stop it. As far as you and everyone else are concerned, that never happened. That chapter of your life has been burned away, starting with the other half that helped cause it._

"Everything okay?" He questions, catching onto my tone. I force yet another smile while nodding vigorously before gently bringing his lips to mine. His hands roam from being tangled in my hair to roaming down my back to tightly gripping my waist before forcing himself to pull away. "Alright, alright, I have to stop myself." He chuckles and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "I just have a few errands to run and then we have all day together. Sound good?" I just nod again, letting my mind wander some more to places hidden in its depths. "I'll be back in an hour or so."

I give him an absent-minded, "Okay," as I reach over for my phone. Pat called me more than once- looks like his call is being returned first…that little pain in my ass.

"Geez! It's about time you called me back!" He irritably answers. "Isn't it like one o'clock there already? What were you doing?"

"Sleeping," I barefacedly admit. "Jesse and I had a long night-"

"Jesus Christ, Brooklyn!" He immediately cuts me off, sounding completely mortified. "I don't want to hear that!"

"I didn't mean it like that; get your mind out of the fucking gutter." He laughs at me as I try to ignore the commotion going on in the background. "Where the hell are you?"

"Grad party, sorry," he explains as the noise fades. "How'd graduation go for you guys?"

"Too fucking long," I groan, not even wanting to think about that never-ending ceremony. "And then Mags and I had a show that night, so we couldn't even go out and celebrate afterwards." Translation: we couldn't go out, party and get completely trashed afterwards. "What about you and Kevin? How was-" I put on my best mocking tone. "-_UCLA_?"

"Better than NYU's football team, that's for sure. OH, wait…" He teases, and I just roll my eyes in return at his unfunny remark.

"Alright, very funny, asshole. Now that you're out, maybe it's time you join us down here. I don't think theatre majors are going to get very far in California."

"And what? Be a swing with you and Maggie?" He sneers.

"You can take my place in _The Addams Family_, jackass. The _American Idiot_ script will be in my hands sometime today."

"Oh my god! Brooklyn! You got the part?"

"No, I ordered the fucking thing for fun," I shoot back.

"You know, I was about to congratulate you, but then I remembered you're a bitch." He laughs at himself yet again. "I really do miss you, Brooklyn. How've you been?"

"Can't complain," I say, shrugging my shoulders even though he can't see me. "I mean, I woke up to good news and it mine and Jesse's one-year anniversary."

"It's already been a year?" He asks, sounding kind of surprised. I can also sense that he's rolling his eyes at me, but I keep that to myself.

"Yeah, thanks," I reply to his non-existent "Congratulations," or anything of that nature. "What, you didn't like him?"

"No, no, he was cool... I just…"

"You what?" I question, sounding annoyed this time.

"I just don't think he's necessarily… right for you, that's all." I stay silent for a moment, taking a moment to process his reply. Did he really just…? "I know for a fact that the foreign blonde model was never my best friend's type."

"The only thing that will make you happy is for me to die an old, lonely cat lady," I tell him. "You don't think anyone's right for me…ever."

"There was one," I just barely hear him mumble.

"Pat, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Brooklyn." He's right. I can't lie to Pat. _Well, except for when-_ "Let's not play dumb. To be blunt, I'm talking about Logan."

"Please, Pat, I really don't want-"

"Brooklyn, you're telling me you found- I'm sorry, I know you hate this word, but- _soulmate_, and you gave him up for…for what?"

"Pat, I really-"

"Are you really trying to tell me you don't still love Logan?"

"I never said that-"

"See? So why are you doing this to the two of you?"

I hesitate before telling him, "I have to go," and hang up the phone.

* * *

><p>"Brooklyn," Jesse tells me from across our rooftop dinner table as he reaches for my hand. "You're so beautiful." I got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach when he said that. Logan always told me that…<p>

Jesus Christ. I really wish this would all just stop right now.

"I love you," I blurt out to him, mainly in despite of what Pat had tried to argue earlier. Even if I don't truly love Jesse…I obviously have some type of strong feelings for him…right?

"I love you, too," he replies. It's so natural, it almost sounds like…_he really does mean it_. "I…I love you Brooklyn. I really, truly do. You mean the world to me, and I don't know where I'd be without you right now." He smiles, stands up and tugs on my hand for me to do the same.

"Where are we going…?" I suspiciously ask him, hesitantly standing up to follow. He walks me over to the edge of the roof. He twirls a piece of my hair around his finger as I lean up against the ledge to look out at the NYC nighttime skyline. For such a beautiful summer night, the normally busy 36th street was quiet and completely empty. Jesse continues to stroke my hair, so I take a moment to look back at him. He just flashes me his flawless smile, which gives me yet another weird feeling. "What…?"

"Nothing," he chuckles. "Just…look down." He gestures down toward the dark street, and right before my eyes, the pitch black street is illuminated with thousands of tiny Christmas-esque light bulbs, spelling out the words, "Marry me?" in giant capital letters across the whole street. Before I can even say anything, I feel him slip the ring on to my left hand.


	5. The Truth

Hi, guys! Sorry these are taking so long to get out to you all wonderful readers- I only have to finals left, though, and then I can lock myself in my basement and just write all day for you. As long as you keep **reviewing**, that won't be a problem. (_That includes **you,** invisible readers.) _Keep me motivated!  
>- Veg :)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Logan's POV<br>**

* * *

><p>I begged- <em>pleaded-<em> the guys not to give me a graduation party. James, Carlos and Kendall, however, didn't listen. God forbid they listen to a damned thing I ever say. Even Mrs. Knight and Katie _insisted _on throwing it in their oh-so extravagant new house. That's right- _house_. While I insisted on living it up in the good ol' UCLA dorms, the guys were moved from shabby little Palm Woods to this gorgeous Hollywood villa that could make your wallet ache.

Anyway, I can't say I'm not grateful for such supportive friends. They couldn't have picked a more gorgeous day for a poolside celebration filled with old and new friends, classmates and even family straight from Minnesota. "There he is!" I hear Kendall call as he walks outside and towards me. "_Dr. Mitchell?" _He asks smugly, offering me a cold can of beer. I thank him and take it.

"Let's not throw that name around just _yet_," I remind him. "I've still got another four years." Kendall pats me on the shoulder as I crack open the can.

"You're gonna get there, man," he says. "And we're gonna be there for you…all the way through." I can't help but smile and pull my best friend in a tight hug after taking a big gulp of my much-needed drink.

"Thanks, Kendall. For everything." I got a glimpse of my mom and Mrs. Knight up on the balcony, hands over their hearts and on the verge of tears. I shoot a smile towards them and they just wave, acting as if nothing's wrong.

"Oh, don't mind if I do," I suddenly hear a voice say as someone snatches my can straight out of my hands. Much to my surprise, I find Pat when I turn around, still towering a good six inches over me. The sweet little Alex Giordano stood right next to him with a cheesy smile.

"Pat!" I exclaim, still in complete awe. Although we've been in the same school for the past four years, I rarely ever saw Pat. We'd bump into each other at the coffee shop every once in a while and occasionally cross paths on campus, but that was about it. And now, seeing him here after all those years I spent with him and Brooklyn…well, it's a bit painful, but I'm still happy he showed up.

"That's my name," he replies, giving me one of his ever-so famous but arrogant two-fingered salutes. _Same old Pat._

"Still as modest as ever, I see," I can't help but joke, and Pat just smiles and holds his arms out for a hug in return, which only adds to my surprise. "How've you been?" He looks away for a second, most likely to get a glimpse at a former classmate clad in a bikini top, so I take advantage of the moment and snatch my drink back.

"Well, out of college," he snorts. "It's fuckin' great. Now I just gotta find what the hell I'm gonna do with a BA in theatre… What about you? How're you doing?"

"Can't complain," I give him a simple shrug and push my sunglasses back up on the top of my head. "But, unlike you, I'm going back next year."

"Med school?" I nod in reply. "Good for you, man. And I'm glad to see the guys are supporting you, too." He takes a glance over at my three friends sitting on the edge of the pool and gives a casual wave in their direction. I thank him and he just kind of shoots this smug look in return.

"What?" I can't help but ask suspiciously.

"Nothing…uh," he bites his lower lip and sighs. "I was just thinking that Brooklyn would be proud to hear that." Alex, still completely silent in this conversation, just nods in agreement.

"She's the one who told me not to give up on this dream," I painfully admit with a smile. There's a moment of silence before I speak again. "…how's she doing?"

"She sounded pretty good when we spoke the other day. She was just casted in her first real role in a Broadway show." Well, I guess she's doing just fine. "Alex and I are flying over there next Saturday to spend a few weeks at her place."

"She's already got her own place?" I should really stop asking questions. I know it's just going to-

"Well, she shares a loft with her…uh…" Pat gives me a sympathetic look when he realizes he's said too much.

"Her boyfriend?" I finish for him.

"Sorry about that…"

"It's fine," I lie. "I mean, it's been over a year, and we've both moved on." Well, at least she has. I'm just good at pretending I have.

"Good," he says with a small smile. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I still like you more."

"Yeah, me too," Alex mumbles.

"More than what? The other guy?"

"Yeah," Pat scoffs.

"Why? He's not a jerk, is he?" _Why should you even care anymore?_

"You really are still worrying about her." He gives me that smug look again that I remember wanting to slap right off his face on numerous occasions, like right now. "Well, he's not a jerk; he's just…not right for her."

"You said the same thing about me at first," I remind him, rolling my eyes. I really wish I could just change the topic now, but I can't help but be curious about the topic.

"At first…but that was my problem. This guy's like," he takes another moment to roll his eyes yet again, "this frickin' huge, blonde Australian…_Calvin Klein model_, and he's just so…_uggh._ He's like everything I thought she hated in guys- suave, smooth-talking, flawless and makes money off of doing nothing." Well, isn't this helpful…

"Oh, yeah, sounds like she's in _hell_," I can't help but sneer.

"Maybe I should just stop talking about this…"

"Yeah, maybe you should…"

* * *

><p>I stare out the window and down at my party from inside. I wonder if any of them even realized that I snuck away about a half hour ago as they all drank, socialized and pushed each other in the pool fully clothed. My eyes wandered from Carlos, chatting with some old friends from the Palm Woods, to James, flirting up a storm with a group of several girls, to Kendall, talking to Mrs. Knight who looks as if she's scolding him. I can't help but laugh at that one. Kendall's still gonna be getting yelled at by his mom when he's fifty.<p>

I shift my gaze over to Pat, catching up with an old friend, hands shoved deep in his pockets and hair flying every which way. I can't help but wonder what Brooklyn 's reaction is going to be when he goes to see her only to find he still hasn't gotten the haircut she begged him to get over a year ago, claiming that he looked like a "stereotypical LA douchebag." I quietly chuckle to myself, remembering how damn funny that girl was, even when she wasn't trying. I glance over at her little brother, who's the spitting image of his older sister, with that curly mess of a head of hair and those big brown eyes. He looks absolutely bored out of his mind, obviously taking no interest in Pat's little flirt fest. Maybe I should head back outside and go save him.

My train of thought is immediately cut off when my phone starts to ring from my pocket. I squint at the screen when I see the unfamiliar number and let out a deep sigh before answering. "Hello?" I ask, mid-yawn.

"Hi, this is Dr. Woods, calling from the Bellevue Hospital Center Manhattan," a woman's voice says on the other end. "Is this Mr… Logan Mitchell?"

"Uh, yes, it is," I reply, until something hits me. She starts to say something, but I accidentally cut her off. "Wait! Manhattan…? Are you sure this is the Logan Mitchell you're looking for?"

"Mr. Mitchell, we've gotten in a bit of a mix-up over at the hospital here," she tells me, sounding much more annoyed this time. "And it's very urgent, so if you would just bear with me for a moment…"

Unsure of what's about to happen, I just tell her, "Okay."

"Mr. Mitchell," I really wish she'd stop calling me that, "are you familiar with a Ms. Brooklyn Giordano?" My heart nearly skips a beat when I hear Brooklyn's name. My mind immediately shows a thousand different scenarios of what could be wrong with her, and I almost feel nauseous.

"Um, yes, I am," I shakily respond.

"You do have a few moments, don't you, sir? This is going to be a lot to take in at once."

* * *

><p><strong>OOOOH SURPRISE CLIFFHANGER ;)<strong>


	6. Too Much Too Soon

**I'm tired and miserable...lots of reviews on this one= I'll have the next one for you by tomorrow night. Sound good?  
>- Veg<strong>

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><p><strong>Brooklyn's POV<br>**

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><p>"It feels like Jesus smacked me in the face with the New Testament for drinking so much last night." I take a glance over at Maggie, groaning about God-knows-what as she stretches out on my couch. "Don't let me do something like that again until, like, next week, okay?" I can't help but roll my eyes at my impractical best friend.<br>"I'd be a bad friend if I did," I smugly reply, handing her the weekly dose of OTC painkillers.

"Sooo," she says with a childish smile before swallowing a pill. "How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" I shouldn't even be questioning her right now. She's probably still drunk.

"To be an engaged woman, sweetheart!" She points out like it's obvious. Oh, yeah, about that.  
>Jesse proposed to me two nights ago, causing the world's largest fire hazard when he used over a hundred-thousand Christmas lights to spell out the words "Marry me?" all across E 36th, and now I've got this chunk of a diamond on my finger that probably costs as much as a combination of my entire college tuition and our apartment. The thought of that makes me absolutely nauseous.<p>

"Oh, was that what we were celebrating last night?" I sarcastically question and she rolls her eyes at me. "I don't know. It feels...weird." Maggie then proceeds to choke on her huge gulp of water.

"Jesus Christ, Brooklyn. You're engaged to this fucking drop-dead gorgeous Australian, staying in this incredible apartment, and living your Broadway dream. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a fucking fairytale if I've ever heard one." She let's out a deep sigh and shakes her head. "Can't you just be happy for yourself for once?" I open my mouth to shoot back some useless, invalid argument, but am cut off when Jesse bursts through the door.

"Ah, you're finally awake," he smugly states after closing the door behind him. He rushes over to me to plant a quick, but quite rough, kiss on my lips. Maggie just stares at us with a smirk. I really want to hit her. "I have something for you," he excitedly tells me, his forehead pressed up against mine.

"Please, no more surprises," I say with a sigh. He rolls his eyes and waves a manilla envelope in the air.

"Oh, come on, hun," he groans. "It's not even a surprise. Can you please be excited instead of paranoid for once?" I immediately hear Maggie scoff and mumble, "That's what I said."

"What is that?" I ask him, trying to reach up and snatch it from his hands.

"Your script, silly!" He finally tells me, lightly tapping my head with the package before handing if over. "I went to pick it up for you this morning," he pushes a brown bag on the counter closer towards the ledge and towards me, "along with lunch for the two of you. I figured you'd be sleeping in." He flashes me his oh-so charming smile before kissing me once more. He gave me this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Jesse is honestly good to me, and he doesn't even a quarter of what has gone on in my life. If only he did... I know Maggie can tell what's going through my head right now, but thankfully, she keeps quiet until Jesse goes upstairs.

"He's perfect, Brooklyn. So perfect it makes me want to puke," she bluntly states.

"I knooooow," I whine, letting myself drop on the couch.

"So what the hell is holding you back?" I just stay silent. I don't even want to bring up the topic, even though I know I have to. "Your life is finally perfect, Brooklyn. Everything's finally at ease and you have everything you've ever dreamed about. Something good finally came out of the first twenty something years of your life that you spent suffering. Why can't you just let it be?"

"The baby, Maggie." She stays quiet. I stay quiet. Neither or us ever thought this topic would ever come up again.

"You mean...the baby."

"Yes, the baby. The only...my baby!" I never thought I'd be using that phrase. I'd never thought I'd have to worry about this again.

* * *

><p>It all started with the last time I saw Logan. Of course, neither of us knew that time would be our last. We never would have imagined.<br>The two of us were cuddled up in the back seat of his car, parked in the dead silent middle of nowhere. Both safe and smart, I know. It would've made a great opening scene for a new Nightmare on Elm Street film. "Logan," I was anxiously telling him, attempting to slip back into my dress without elbowing him in the face. "We really should get going."

"Just give me another minute," he hoarsely replied, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I sighed in defeat and rested my head upon his shoulder, gazing up at the nighttime sky. Logan couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed. "Admiring the stars again?" He teased with a smirk. I gave him an absentminded nod before resting my head on his chest. I felt his hot breath on the back of my neck as his lips brushed up against my earlobe.

"I love you, Brooklyn."

"I love you more, Logan." _More than you'll ever know._

We never made it back to the hotel that night. We completely passed out in the car until my alarm went off at 6 the next morning and Logan had to rush me to my hotel and then the airport with nothing but a little over an hour.

When I returned home, everything was back to normal. Long hours and sleepless nights due to classes, work and rehearsals resumed to take over my schedule. It wasn't until quite a while after when I noticed all the signs- always miserable, always in pain, always nauseous. I hadn't put together the bits and pieces until Maggie finally joked, "What- are you pregnant?" That was when we sprinted to the nearest convenience store and back to our dorm.  
>Those three minutes were the longest, most painfully anxious moments in my life. I couldn't bear to look at first and then, slowly, I turned my head and saw the bright pink "X" staring me right in the face.<p>

At first, I was disbelieving- in denial. I think I sat in that bathroom for an hour, just staring at this white stick with the big pink "X." My heart was in my throat, my pulse was racing, my stomach was doing flip-flops and Maggie was nervously banging on the door, calling for me to come out. Instinctively, my hand went toward my belly. I removed my top and stared at my flat stomach in the mirror and tried to fathom its getting bigger- and boy, did it do just that in those nine months.  
>And that's when I made the decision that I couldn't do that to Logan. I couldn't put that weight on his shoulders, and I most definitely wasn't going to let it get in the way of his studies and his career. That's when I decided...I couldn't hold him back anymore, either.<p>

I left Melody Alice with a name and nothing else. She was put up for adoption immediately- or so I thought...

* * *

><p>"I thought you told them Logan died when you were in the hospital," Maggie replies, staring at me in disbelief. Yeah, great cover, I know. I should've known it wasn't going to last long.<p>

"Well, obviously they figured it out," I blandly state, trying my hardest not to go in breakdown mode. "He's going to take a test and when he finds out he's the father," I let out a deep sigh, "He's going to take her." Exactly what I feared.


	7. The Whole Way Through

Hey, guys...let me just say that you guys are awesome. Really. If I got an explosion of reviews every time I posted a chapter like I did yesterday, these chapters would be coming out nonstop. Seriously.  
>I really don't have much else to say, except another thank youshoutout to **mutantshinobi** for the oh-so wonderful idea for this whole story and for pulling me out of a slump during this chapter. :)  
>And while we're on the topic of amazing people, let me just acknowledge two more-<br>**WolfGirl-XD:** Been with me since the very beginning of SYTL and has showered me with wonderful words since then, and for that, I am extremely grateful.  
><strong>3: <strong> best friend, 'nuff said (even though she went MIA for awhile and just recently came out of hiding.) It's pretty obvious we share a brain, so if you enjoy my stories, you should 100%-absolutely-most definitely read hers. xD  
>Okay, that's all for now!<br>- Veg :D

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><p><strong>Logan's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>A baby girl.<p>

Somewhere out there in the middle of Manhattan in the apartment of a foster family, there's a baby, not even a year old yet. A baby girl- _my _baby girl, Melody Alice…Giordano. Soon, she'll have my last name.

"Mr. Mitchell, can we schedule the test for next Friday?" The doctor asks just as I finish booking the flight to New York closest to the date.

"Uh, yes, ma'am," I reply as I finish entering the rest of my credit card information. "That's-" I let out a quiet sigh before finally click "print ticket". "Perfect." Once I hang up the phone and close my laptops, I have three pairs of curious-looking eyes staring down at me.

"So, that's it," Kendall finally breaks the silence. "You're really doing this."

"If you mean taking responsibility for something that's mine- something _I caused_- then yes," I tell him with a sigh of defeat. "I'm really doing this."

There's another moment of silence before Carlos finally blurts out, as serious as ever, "What if...it- _she_- isn't…yours?" That thought hadn't crossed my mind until now, but…he has a point. What if she isn't mine? I feel my heart drop into the pit of my stomach at that idea. Pat had even said himself that Brooklyn has a boyfriend- a gorgeous, blonde model boyfriend- but he never said for how long. What if the two of them were already together when Brooklyn and I were still dating?

Okay, shut up. Brooklyn would never do something like that to you. _Ever_. She was the most loyal person you knew.

My mind wanders for a minute when I'm reminded that Brooklyn does have a boyfriend right now. Is he really all that incredibly handsome and painfully charming? Does he treat her like any decent gentleman would? Does he even try to have a close relationship with her family and best friends? Has she even taken him to see both of her parents' gravesites? Does he know as much about her as I do, from her life story up to the fact that she knows every single word to _Fight Club_? I can almost see the two of them together- Brooklyn's arms wrapped around his neck the same way she used to do to me, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he whispers in her ear with that accent that's obviously undeniably attractive to any woman. I couldn't bare the pictures flashing through my mind. They were honestly killing me.

Has he…proposed to her? Does he even intend on doing so? Would Brooklyn actually say yes if he did? What if they're already planning a wedding? No, no, Pat would've known that…but would he have told me?

"That wouldn't make any sense," Kendall quickly defends. Thank you, Kendall. "Obviously, Brooklyn put Logan's name on her birth certificate; otherwise they wouldn't have called him, right?"

"And…the timing," I suddenly blurt out, finally making some type of connection in my head. "If the baby's not even a year, it hasn't even been two years since we've seen each other, and she broke up with me about a month after the last time we were together…" I shake my head in disbelief, even though it all makes sense now. "So…she broke up with me…because of the baby…"

"Are you sure that's it?" Carlos makes me question my own thoughts yet again. "I mean, if she was going to give up the baby, why would she have to break up with you?"

"Carlos, do you _remember _those four years we spent with that girl?" I can't help but notice Kendall's faint smile when he speaks. "She broke up with Logan for his sake, and probably gave up the baby for her own. She didn't want Logan to have to worry about a kid or even herself." There's now absolutely no doubt in my heart or mind that Kendall hit the nail on the head. Sounds like typical Brooklyn to me- always worrying about someone else more than she ever will for herself. I wonder if her boyfriend cares for her as much as I did…do…or if he just takes advantage of the fact that she's most likely always worrying about him. I wonder if he's realized yet that she acts like more of a mother to people than a friend, girlfriend, or even acquaintance. I wonder if he appreciates those little things about her…I really hope he does, otherwise, he's clearly just an ungrateful asshole.

"Then I don't understand why they're just trying to get in contact with him now," James adds in.

"Brooklyn said he was _dead_, James," Carlos explains before mumbling something in Spanish under his breath and rolling his eyes. "Logan, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yeah, man. I mean, this is gonna be a big commitment, especially with you starting med school in the fall…"

"You know what?" I tell them with yet another sigh. "No. I know for a fact I'm now. But…I'm gonna have to do it, anyway. I'm going to make myself ready for this, because _my _daughter is out in the middle of New York City somewhere in some…orphanage or foster home! And I'm not going to let it stay that way. Whether Brooklyn and I are together or now, this little girl is going to have her father in her life, and that father just so happens to be me." My friends are silent until I feel a hand gently rest on my shoulder.

"Well, no matter what happens, we're going to be here for you," Kendall assures me with a smile. "The whole way through."

No matter what happens, this is my responsibility now. Melody is my daughter and I'm…I'm her father. I'm a father now. I have a daughter. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to repeat this to myself. I think I'm still in denial. Pretty soon, I'm going to have to move into another apartment- one with another room. I'm going to have to buy…a crib, bottles, toys…and I'm going to be having another human being look up to me and call me "daddy." I wasn't bluffing when I said I'm not ready for this. I'm _not _ready for this- I already know that. But, I suppose raising this baby by myself is just a small part of this journey I'm about to get myself into. And no matter what happens, I trust my friends when they assure me they'll be there, right behind me, _the whole way through._


	8. You Have No Idea

Hello, hallo, hola, bonjour! I really wasn't planning on updating again until Monday, when I get back from my much-needed trip to the shore, but I got this sudden spark of inspiration tonight and I just couldn't resist! I really should be sleeping, considering I have to drive early tomorrow, but I really don't care right now, considering I'm quite proud of myself for knocking this chapter out in a few hours. By the way, **thank you so much for all the nice reviews on the last few chapters!** Maybe that's why I've been writing so fast lately...  
>- Veg :D<p>

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><p><strong>Brooklyn's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>"So? How is it?"<p>

"There's…nothing for me to memorize," I tell Maggie over the phone as I flip through my _American Idiot _script. "It's just one song after another. It would be a fucking Green Day opera if there weren't like, 10 short monologues in between songs."

"And none of them are yours," she says, clearly trying to see who can make a more obvious statement.

"None of them are mine," I remind myself, actually completely thankful that I'm already awfully familiar with the two songs I sing. I let out a deep sigh in relief before closing the book. "One less thing I have to worry about."

"Perfect. You don't any music to memorize and your rehearsals don't start for another two weeks. Let's go out." I wonder if Maggie has actually stayed in a night. Of course, I doubt she has, considering if she's not dragging me or even someone she barely knows to a bar or club, she's actually going by herself and finding people there she can pretend she went with. And, no, I'm not joking.

"I don't know, Mags. I think I'm just gonna stay in tonight. I need to relax a little, you know? I mean, the boys will be here tomorrow afternoon, I'm still kind of stressed about that call from the hospital…" The call from the hospital that reminded me what an awful person I am. The call that reminded me of the child I gave up and the incredible guy whose heart I most likely shattered to pieces. Yeah, that one. "I mean, I know Logan, and I know that he _will_ take her…and that's the absolute last thing I was hoping for…" God, I really do feel awful.

"Just stop worrying about it, Brooklyn. Everything's perfect now, remember?"

"And that's the other thing! I'm getting _married_, Maggie. I have to plan a wedding; I might as well stop eating now if I want to look decent in a dress, and…and I haven't even told anyone yet! Not my grandmother, not my brother, not even Pat! I don't even know how I'm going to break that one to him!"

"Contrary to his belief, Pat doesn't make your life decisions for you, sweetheart. He'll eventually get over it, whether he hates Jesse or not. This is your decision and about what makes _you_ happy, not Pat. Besides, what the hell is his problem with him, anyway?"

"I don't know…it's just Pat being Pat." I nearly jump out of my rather comfortable seat on the couch when I hear the door swing open, revealing Jesse with a huge smile that lit up his whole face.

"God, he can be such a woman some times," Maggie continues on.

"Hey, babe," he starts, rather loudly. "I-" He immediately stops and apologetically covers his mouth when he notices I'm on the phone. I can't help but giggle and carelessly wave him off.

"I know, Mags. Hey, Jesse just got home, so, uh-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," she teases me. "Go relax with your prince charming and enjoy your fairy tale life and blah blah blah. I'll go find someone else to go out with."

"Alright, have fun," I say, laughing a bit. "I'll see you tomorrow? We can all go out to lunch or something when Alex and Pat get here."

"Yeah, I'll consider it if I'm not too hung-over."

"Very ladylike, Mags. I'll see ya then." Jesse smiles at me yet again when I hang up the phone and toss it to the other side of the couch.

"Well, hello there, beautiful," he greets me before slowly leaning forward to plant a gentle kiss on my lips.

"You're in a…better mood than usual today," I can't help but notice.

"I am," he tells me. "You know, I had that shoot today, and I specifically told everyone there that they couldn't keep me past 6 because I had to get home to cook dinner for my beautiful fiancée." He flashes his bright white teeth again while twirling a piece of my hair around his finger.

"I'm sure your agent really enjoyed that one," I scoff, imagining the looks using that line would get him.

"Looked like he was getting ready to murder me, actually." He lets out a chuckle before untangling his fingers from my hair and moves his hand gently down my cheek. "Alright, well, you just relax here. I'm going to go start the best dinner _ever_ that will blow your fucking mind." I give him a faint smile, getting another one of those guilty feelings due to the fact that he really is too good to me.

"You sure you don't want any help?"

"Absolutely! You just sit here and relax." Jesse gives me a much faster, more passionate kiss that I just have to eventually pull myself away from. "We'll have a nice dinner, and then I'll warm up the hot tub and we'll crack open a bottle of champagne."

"Really, now? Are we celebrating something?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Brooklyn," he says as he heads toward the kitchen. "We never gave our new engagement a proper celebration!"

"Oh, of course…" I try and distract my wandering mind and turn on the TV. I begin to subconsciously flip through channels, trying my hardest to ignore and not to laugh at Jesse's loud and blatantly awful singing along to his music. I pass by a channel that seems to have some familiar faces on it, so I immediately click my way back.

"_-popular boy band Big Time Rush will soon release their new album and has already announced tour dates for this summer. This will be their first CD and tour without former band mate, Logan Mitchell, after he quit the band last year to continue on to med school."_

What the hell? Logan quit the band…since when? And…to go to med school. He…he actually listened to me. He's actually doing what he dreamed about all those years.

"Hey, Brooklyn?" I let out a shriek when I hear Jesse behind me. "Jesus Christ! Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry, you just…scared me."

"Big Time Rush?" I finish for him. _AKA the four morons I spent the best years of my teenage life with?_

"Oh, _that's_ it! Yeah, I remember my little sister was absolutely _in love _with them when they first came out. I had to take her to one of their concerts and, ugh, it was just awful." He just laughs it off, completely oblivious to the thoughts racing through my head right now.

"Haha, yeah," I nervously join his laughter. "Must've been…horrible."

Jesse returns to the kitchen, obviously forgetting what he came over to me for in the first place. I blankly stare at the TV screen for a few moments until the clip of the interview with Kendall, Carlos and James is over. Those long, beautiful California days the five of us would spend together, always getting mixed up in some type of trouble, raiding the Palm Woods pool, constantly worrying Kendall's mom, leaving James completely and utterly confused in every situation, Carlos and that damn hockey helmet… It seems like all of those times and all of those memories we all made were just left to rot and eventually burned, their ashes scattered all the way from Los Angeles to Manhattan.

"Oh, _that's_ what I wanted to ask you!" Jesse calls from the kitchen. "Where's Gizmo?" He was referring to his enormous and slightly psychotic dog. "I didn't see him when I came in."

"He was upstairs last time I saw him. He decided to make himself comfortable on the bed, and I was too scared to try and get him off."

_But, have to admit, I do kind of miss those boys. All four of them._


	9. Let It Be

Meep. So, it's been...awhile...and this one was hell to write. I was unmotivated and trying to get through this awkward transition of where each chapter is going, so I apologize for this one just being one of those **useless fillers,** mainly due to the fact that I'm still struggling with writing in the POV of "Adult Logan"...it's actually a lot harder than it looks. :/  
>- Veg<p>

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><p><strong>Brooklyn's POV<strong>

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><p>"Maggie, I swear to god, if you pull my hair one more fucking time," I grumble at my friend trying to turn my knotty curls into a much neater fishtail braid.<p>

"Oh, come on, Brookie!" She sighs. Brookie? What the fuck was that? "This is what you get for not wanting to wash your hair! And this will look-" Another pull- fucking hell. "-adorable with your dress." I let out a loud groan.

"Mags, it's only you, Pat, Jesse and my brother- there's no one to look pretty for." I argue while shifting on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position for my legs.

"I wasn't going to let you leave the house in your pajama pants. No way in hell, sweetheart." This is what I get for actually becoming close friends with another girl. "Besides, I think it's time you start dressing the part as Mrs. Jesse Harris."

"Maggie, do you ever go home?" Jesse teases as he rushes downstairs. Only that man could make what's supposed to be an insult sound so painfully charming.

"Now, why on earth would I do that when my best friend lives in this gorgeous penthouse?" She flashes a cheesy smile before fastening a hair tie at the end of my braid.

"It's only a loft," I mumble under my breath, but the two of them, cheery as ever, ignore my negativity.

"Well, I suppose I should thank you for showing me there was a beautiful face under all that hair," he chuckles, lightly stroking my cheek and I immediately slap his hand away, so he moves to plant a kiss on my forehead instead. "Now all you have to do is convince her to wear a dress for her own wedding." He takes a seat next to me and slings his arm around my shoulder.

"I still like the idea of sweatpants for everyone," I mumble to myself, not expecting to take me seriously, before taking a gulp of water.

"Don't worry! We're gonna start looking next week!" She assures him, and I instantly choke on my drink.

"Already?" I can't help but snap.

"Well, we only really have five months, don't we? Aren't you the one who always wanted to get married on Halloween?" He asks with a smirk. I wince in reply, having flashbacks of spending time with my father so many years ago on his favorite holiday. "How does a beach wedding sound in October?" The smile on his face was bigger than a kid's on Christmas morning. "Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Jamaica... Anywhere you want, hun." Maggie looks as if she's about to explode and I feel my stomach in knots.

"Uh, how about New York?" I ask, biting my lower lip as the faces of my best friend and fiancée completely drop. "I don't come from a family of millionaires, and I really don't want to make my grandparents pay to fly themselves and Alex down there." Jesse sighs and forces a smile.

"Alright, scratch that idea then," he says, grabbing my hand. Maggie, on the other hand, looks as if she's about to strangle me. "Staying here would be perfect. A friend of mine could probably even book Gotham Hall for us for the night."

"Isn't that a little...extravagant, hun? I mean, how are we even going to fill all of that space, anyway?"

"Only the best for my girl," he tells me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure I can fill up the guest list just fine. Besides, how many friends of yours are you having?"

"I already have my fifteen picked out," I tell him, dead serious.

"Brooklyn, you are literally the only girl in the world who would argue with the suggestions he's making," Maggie scoffs. Jesse smiles at me and gently kisses my cheek.

"Alright, well, I'm going to go to the store, considering somebody who just happens to have a key to our apartment came in at three this morning and decided to drunkenly eat all of our food." He glances over at Maggie, who just pretends to have no idea what he's talking about.

"What? Deadbolt the door next time, then!" He sighs in return, having more patience for my friend that any other man in the world would, and tells me he'll meet us for lunch with Pat and my brother in about an hour or so. The second he sets foot out the door, Maggie plops down next to me while I ironically get up to search for my car keys, considering I should leave to go pick the boys up from the airport now. "God, Brooklyn! What's with you today?"

"Nothing," I plainly tell her, snatching my car keys off the counter and shoving in my pocket before slipping on a pair of sandals. "Are you coming with me or not?"

"See? You're so grouchy! And you were getting so defensive when we were talking about your wedding!" She rushes to find her own shoes and proceeds to hop around on one foot while rushing to put them on. "What's wrong?"

"It's just...I don't know," I tell her with a sigh. "I just don't think I'm ready to start talking about it yet, that's all. It's all Jesse's been thinking about now and he wants to ask Pat to be his best man and Pat doesn't even know yet and, just..." I groan loudly and let myself fall against the door. "I'm not ready for this yet, Mags. It's all happening too fast."  
>"It's all gonna work out perfectly, Brooklyn. Don't you worry one bit."<p>

"No it's not, Maggie. I know it seems like everything's so perfect and Jesse's prince charming and my life is just...fucking rainbows and butterflies, but its not. I'm a mess, Mags. If anything, Jesse is too good to me, and he just has no idea that...!" My voice trails off when I finally realize I've said far too much.

"That what?"

"That I don't love him back."

"You...don't..."

"I don't. He's a great guy, he makes me happy and he's such a sweetheart, but...I don't love him... like I loved, well, you know..."

"So, this is about...Logan," she finally says.

"I was so sure we were going to get married," I say after a long hesitation. "I was sure he...was "the one", and then..."

"And then you got pregnant, remember? You realized you were both too young to even know what the two of you were talking about?" I stay silent. She's right. "Look, I don't doubt you two were in love. Logan was a great guy and I know he was crazy about you and all, but you're both...grown up now. You have a career, he's going to finish school...I don't doubt he has a girlfriend now, and you're getting married to a man who is absolutely madly in love with you and treats you like a god damned princess... Am I right?" I don't know how many times she's going to have to pound this message into my head.

"You're right, Mags...we should go."

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><p>The car ride from the airport to the restaurant was completely silent.<p>

It was the first thing brought to attention. I couldn't even finish my hellos before Pat pointed out the ring on my finger. I was even praying beforehand he wouldn't notice. I wanted to give it a few days before I told him, but of course it came back to bite me in the ass. "So," Pat finally breaks the silence. Great. Here we go. "Third times a charm, I suppose. Are you actually going through with it this time?" I slam down on the brake, resisting my urge to pull the car over and punch him in the face.

"Pat, do you mind?" Maggie suddenly blurts out, sharply turning around in the passengers' seat to glare back at him. "It hasn't even been 20 minutes yet and you're already unleashing Mega Bitch. This is your best friend, here, and you're going to be fucking happy for her either way. This is what she wants and makes her happy, and even if you don't like Jesse-"

"I never said I don't like him," he cuts in.

"Guys," I try to intervene, "let's just drop it and try not-"

"Then stop acting like it!" She ignores me. "Stop acting like such a fucking child and be happy for your best friend who, after all these years, is finally having a happy, normal life, and whose fiancée wants you, of all people, to be his best man." Bam. The silence bomb fell upon us once again.

"Brooklyn," my little brother speaks up before I take a glance at his curly little head in the rear-view mirror. "I'm happy for you." The other two also silently turn their attention to the quiet thirteen year-old in the back seat. Alex turns stiff and uncomfortable when he notices so. "I think he's...nice, and he's good to you and...I'm glad you finally found someone...else." Someone else...

"Thanks, kiddo," I reply with a wince after a few more silent moments. "That was all I needed."


	10. Author's Note

So, I know FF is really anal about posting notes like this but guess how many fucks I give? Yeah, none.

Wow. So, erm, hi. For those of you who are still out there, if there are any of you, I'm still alive. And I'm probably the worst of the worst for just disappearing on all of the lovely readers out there I had. I don't even want to say how long it's been since I've given you guys a mere update, because just the thought makes me nauseous and I'll crack down on some serious self-loathing.

I guess you can say part of it was my loss of motivation. Like, I know exactly where I want to go with this, but I'm having trouble getting there, per say. But other than that, my life just grew hectic beyond belief. And I had to close the computer for a while and step out into the real world or someshit. Yeah, sucks.

But, guess what? I got a really nice message a few days ago from **Justin **(Loganator-JR), and you can all go send your thank you's in a minute. And that, on top of the recent e-mails I've been getting that people are still adding me to their alerts, was basically a big slap in the face so I could finally ask myself, "What the hell are you doing? You don't leave things unfinished, you dumbfuck." So, now, here I am. And now that all the craziness that has been my senior year is almost over (well, the worst of it is), I'm actually going to have free time now.

So guess what? I'm back. Even if not a single person is still reading, I'm finishing this story. Period, the end.

But I love you all and hope you're all still here?

- Veg


End file.
